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Laczynski Tallies Five Points as Steel Chop Down Lumberjacks 8-4

December 31, 2015 - United States Hockey League (USHL)
Chicago Steel News Release


MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN - Tanner Laczynski got the New Year's Eve party started early for the Chicago Steel, scoring a hat trick and adding two assists as the Steel doubled up the Muskegon Lumberjacks (12-11-2-1, 27 points) 8-4 Thursday at L.C. Walker Arena. Ruslan Rakhmatov (1+2), Brandon Duhaime (1+1) and Jake Jaremko (1+1) also tallied multi-points in the victory. The Steel broke open a 2-2 game with three goals in the second period en route to the win which snapped a season-long five-game pointless streak. Chicago reaches the midway point of the 2015-2016 season with a record of 11-15-2-2 (26 points).

The Steel opened the scoring when Mitch Lewandowski fed Jake Jaremko for a quick release over the blocker of Muskegon netminder Joey Daccord. Muskegon would take advantage of an early power play to tie the game, as Rem Pitlick tied the USHL-lead with his 17th goal of the season, sending a low wrist shot through traffic and past Steel goaltender John Lethemon. The Lumberjacks then gained a 2-1 lead thanks to another power play goal, as defenseman Mitch Eliot beat his future Michigan State teammate Lethemon from the top of the zone with a wrist shot through a screen in front of the net. Later in the period, the Steel tied the game as Tanner Laczynski picked up the puck in the left wing corner, made a tremendous stickhandling effort to dodge traffic and buried a shot in the upper corner over the glove of Daccord at 17:42. The teams entered the first intermission tied at 2.

Chicago controlled the play for much of the second period, scoring all three of the period's goals to take a 5-2 lead. Marc Johnstone drove to the net and sent Ruslan Rakhmatov's rebound past the blocker of Daccord at 2:58. Rakhmatov then scored a goal of his own, a power play one-timer fed to the slot by Laczynski at 4:22. Later in the period, Max Zimmer tallied his third goal of the season, sending Jake Jaremko's rebound inside the post at 12:50. The Steel almost took a four-goal lead, but Daccord, an Ottawa Senators prospect, denied Christiano Versich's rebound attempt on the doorstep, quickly extending the inside of his blocker to make one of the finest saves by a USHL goaltender this season.

Steel forward Brandon Duhaime extended the lead to 6-2 early in the third period before Muskegon's Pitlick and Dante Palecco scored 24 seconds apart to cut the Chicago lead to 6-4. The Lumberjacks pulled Daccord in favor of an extra attacker with 4:59 remaining, but Laczynski tallied an empty net goal, and later a power play goal, completing his first career hat trick and securing the 8-4 victory for Chicago.

Lethemon made 32 saves as Chicago secured its first road victory since Nov. 28.

The Steel continue their season-long, 10-game road trip this weekend with Saturday and Sunday matchups at the Youngstown Phantoms. Chicago will return to Fox Valley Ice Arena for its next home game Sunday, Jan. 17 at 3 p.m. to take on Muskegon. This game will feature Mommy, Minions and Me Day. Plus, it's a Steel Family Pack game - fans can receive four tickets, four hot dogs, four sodas and four chuck-a-pucks starting at just $59. Tickets are available at the box office inside Fox Valley Ice Arena, by phone at 855-51-STEEL or online at ChicagoSteelHockeyTeam.com.

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United States Hockey League Stories from December 31, 2015


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